Statement by the Spokesperson on the decision to bar Agnes Chow from running for a Legislative Council by-election
The decision by a Hong Kong returning officer to bar Agnes Chow from running for a Legislative Council by-election on the basis of her political affiliation, subsequently supported by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, risks diminishing Hong Kong's international reputation as a free and open society.
The protection of civil and political rights in Hong Kong is an essential part of the implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, which the EU supports. Barring candidates from standing for election because of their political beliefs is in contradiction with the right under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, whose application is guaranteed in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, to stand for election without unreasonable restrictions.